In 2018, I hit a low point. Life wasn’t going the way I wanted, and instead of facing my problems, I surrounded myself with unhealthy comforts—because nothing says “I’m totally fine” like ignoring reality and hoping it goes away. Deep down, I knew I needed a change, but change is hard when your bad habits feel like a warm, suffocating hug.

One of my longtime friends, Nate, had been telling me for years to take a leap and bet on myself. Naturally, I ignored him. But when life finally backed me into a corner, I realized he was right. So, in late October, I did something drastic—I packed up everything I owned, crammed it into a U-Haul with a few buddies, and moved 950 miles to Denver, Colorado, for a job I had never done before. I only knew one person there, but at that point, I figured, Why not?

I arrived in Denver on October 31, 2018—fitting, since this whole thing felt like a horror movie. But I hit the ground running, embracing my new adventure. Everything was going great until about seven months in, when the company I worked for decided to do some layoffs. No one had screwed up; it was just a numbers game, and the newest hires (including me) were out the door.

They say everything happens for a reason. At the time, I wanted to punch “them” in the face, but in hindsight, they were right.

Reflect. Regroup. Refocus.

I found another job working in a lab with oils, which was interesting enough, but something kept nagging at me: Why was I still working for someone else? While at this job, I noticed that we were selling a simple $8 product in massive quantities. That got me thinking: How many $8 products do you need to sell to make a million dollars? Answer: 125,000. That seemed… shockingly doable.

So, naturally, I became obsessed with finding my “thing”—the product that would light a fire under me and push me to empty the tank every single day. But inspiration is a fickle beast. Weeks went by, and I felt like I was screaming in my own head, “WHAT IS MY THING?!” over and over. If you’ve ever been desperate for a purpose, you know exactly how frustrating that search can be.

Then, Covid happened. Like everyone else, I had to wear a mask all day, every day. And it didn’t take long for me to realize something horrifying: I felt sick. At first, I couldn’t figure out why, but then it hit me—literally, in the face. Every beard product I had ever used smelled exactly the same. That classic sandalwood scent? Sure, it was fine in small doses, but when trapped behind a mask for hours, it was like getting repeatedly punched in the nose by a lumberjack.

I thought to myself: Why hasn’t anyone made a beard oil that actually smells good?

And just like that, the idea for Bux Beards was born.

I spent months researching, testing, and developing beard oils that smelled better—scents that weren’t the same old “lost in the woods” experience that every other brand seemed obsessed with. In April 2021, Bux Beards officially made its first sale.

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe

From day one, our mission has been simple: stand out. No generic scents, no harmful chemicals, no overpriced nonsense—just high-quality beard products that make you smell damn good and feel even better.

In July 2021, my good friend Jon Hopkins came out to visit me in Denver. I shared my vision for Bux Beards, and he was immediately intrigued. Knowing his 17 years of sales and business experience (and the fact that he loves mentoring anyone who will listen), I asked him to join the team.

There’s a quote that sums up our partnership perfectly:

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

In August 2021, Jon officially joined Bux Beards and has been leading the charge in achieving our short-term goals ever since. He’s also taken it upon himself to appoint several “official” titles for himself. For the sake of time (and your sanity), I’ll spare you the list.

Where We Are Now

Today, Bux Beards is thriving. We’re in multiple retail locations, selling on Amazon, and popping up at farmers’ markets to connect with customers face-to-face. And, of course, with our success, people love to point out the fact that Jon doesn’t even have a beard. If I had a dollar for every time someone brought that up, I’d already have that million. Cha-ching!

To keep up with our journey, follow us on social media:
📍 Instagram: @buxbeardoil
📍 TikTok: @buxbeards
📍 Facebook: @buxbeards

Check out our products at https://www.buxbeards.com or on Amazon.

And as always… WE JUST BEARD BETTER.